A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Bidens pilosa

Bidens spp. ( Kïnehi)

PLANT NAME: Bidens spp.

OTHER NAMES: Adenolepis spp., Campylotheca spp.

SIMILARLY USED SPECIES: Bidens pilosa, B. bipinnata (gui zhen cao, nian shen cao) B. biternata, B. chinensis, B. parvif ora (xiao hua gui zhen cao), B. tripartite, B. chilensis.

COMMON NAMES: Kïnehi (Bidens pilosa) , ko'oko'olau (native Bidens species) [Hawai'i]; xian feng cao ("abundant weed"), gui zhen [China]; aceitilla [Spanish]; amor seco (Desmodium adscendens is also called " amor seco") [Peru]; beggars tick / spanish needle / needle grass [USA]; black jack [South Africa]; cobblers peg [Australia]; fi si 'uli [Tonga]; has kung chia, han feng cao [Taiwan]; muni [Aymara, Quechua]; ottrancedi [India]; picao preto, cuamba [Brazil]; piripiri [Cook Islands]; saetilla, sillk'iwa [Quechua]; sanana vinillo, saytilla, natilluna [Bolivia]; spanish needle, needle grass [Barbados, St. Thomas]; te de coral [Mexico]; z'herbe zedruite [Caribbean]; fi si'uli [Tonga]; uqadolo [Southern Africa]; z'herbe zedruite, z'herbe z'aiguille [Dominica, Martinique].

NOMENCLATURE:

• From a Western perspective, Bidens (meaning "two teeth") is a reference to hairy calyx (pappus) of some species. The name "pilosa" means "hairy."

• In China the many species and varieties of Bidens are often lumped under the names xian feng cao ("abundant weed") or gui zhen cao ("demon spike grass" / "ghost needle weed")cao but each species (see "similarly used species" above) will sometimes have a different Chinese common name. ("demon spike grass" or "ghost needle weed") In Taiwan Bidens species are called "ham hong chho."

• Many common names of Bidens are a reference to the fruits that are aggravating hitchhikers. Hence the names "demon spike grass" and "ghost needle weed." Beggars tick is a reference to the fact that hobos would gather these on their clothing as they walked along railroad tracks. • Some Chinese will use Bidens interchangeably with Desmodium spp, as they are thought to be almost therapeutically identical. In China they even share the same name: "nian shen cao." In South America Bidens is also used interchangeably with Desmodium spp. and there they also share a local common name: "amor seco." • On a clinical note, current research has shown both plants to be liver protective.

Habitat: All over your socks

FAMILY: Asteraceae

CATEGORY: Clear Heat and Toxins

PROPERTIES: Bitter, bland, sweet, neutral to cool [China].

PLANT PART USED: Whole plant.

TOXICITY: See Cautions and Contraindications.

CAUTIONS AND CONTRAINDICATIONS: Can irritate the bladder and kidney in high doses. Some constituents may be weak esophageal carcinogens [Mirvish 1979].

PREPARATION OF MEDICINE: Prepare as decoction or tincture 1:5 40-50%. A good way to use kïnehi is to pull it out by the roots (gathering with prayer) while it is still flowering. Some Hawaiians prefer to gather only those without white ray florets. After pule (prayer), the roots are scalded in boiling water and the plant is hung upside down to dry. This allows the mana (power) of the plant to penetrate into the flowers and leaves. The tops are then cut and stored.

DOSAGE: 15-60 grams per day. 15-30 grams in combination. Some Chinese sources list doses as high as 120 grams per day for acute appendicitis. Because kïnehi is photo-activated, there is some speculation as to polyacetylines being activated even in the capillary bed by strong sunlight. Ingest during daylight hours for maximum effect.

STATUS IN HAWAI'I: Bidens pilosa is a bad boy weed. The native Bidens spp. are endemic. Learn the differences before you gather.

WESTERN FUNCTIONS REPORTED: " Blood purifier" (infused); antibacterial; "antibiotic"; antidote; antidysenteric; antihemorrhagic; anti-infl ammatory; antimalarial; antimicrobial; antipyretic; astringent; carminative; circulation promoting; diuretic; emmenagogue; emollient; hepatoprotective; hypotensive; intoxicant; lactogogue; liver protective; mucous membrane tonic; prevents flu & colds; sialogogue; stagnant blood dispelling; stimulates childbirth; styptic; urogenital system tonic; vulnerary.

TRADITIONAL CHINESE ENERGETIC FUNCTIONS:

1) Cools and resolves the surface.

2) Clears heat and toxins, removes toxins, removes stagnation.

3) Invigorates blood.

4) Clears damp heat from the lower jiao.

5) Removes wind dampness.

6) Purges fire.

7) Reduces swelling [Taiwan].

Kïnehi (Spanish Needle) Common Medicinal Uses

• Colds and flu

• Acute or chronic hepatitis

• General bacterial infections

• Inflammatory conditions

• Urinary tract infections

Kïnehi (Spanish Needle) Cross-Cultural Medicinal Uses

CARDIOVASCULAR • To prevent stroke [Hawai'i]. • To "cool the blood" [Bahamas]. • Angina [Amazonia, Haiti, Peru, Research]; cardiac spasm [China (decocted)].

DERMATOLOGICAL • Skin disorders [Hawai'i, India]; eczema (topical); itching [Bahamas, China]; ringworm; heat rash [Bahamas], hives [Ghana]; frostbite [China]. • Boils, abscess; sores; chronic ulcers [Bahamas, China, Cook Islands, Exuma, India (leaf), Java, Peru, Philippines].

DIGESTIVE Indigestion • Stomach ache, nausea & vomiting [Amazonia, China, Hawai'i, Tonga (fl owers infused)]; "sick stomach" [Bahamas]; food poisoning (fl owers infused) [Tonga]. Digestive inflammation • Heartburn [Hawai'i]; stomatitis [Haiti]; ulcers [India]; gastroenteritis [China, Peru]; appendicitis [China, Peru]; intestinal problems [Upper Volta]; colitis [China (decocted)]; irritable bowel syndrome; intestinal carbuncle [China]; hemorrhoids [China (decocted)]. Diarrhea • Diarrhea [Africa, Burkina Faso, China, India (fl ower), Upper Volta]. • Dysentery [Amazonia, China, Bolivia, Peru, Tanzania, Venezuela]. Other • To stimulate appetite [native species, Hawai'i]; diffi culty swallowing [China (decocted)]. • Weight loss [Peru].

ENDOCRINE • Diabetes [Amazonia, Brazil, Haiti, Mexico, Peru, Trinidad].

HEAD AND THROAT • Headache [Amazonia, India, Peru, Zulu]. • Eye problems, infl ammation, conjunctivitis (leaves juiced, topical) [Caribbean, Dominica, Ghana, Hawai'i, Malaya, Peru, S.E. Asia, Tonga, West Africa]. • Ear complaints, earache [Ghana, India (leaf & flower)]. • Chronic nasal discharge. • Toothache [Amazonia (leaf topical), Dominican Republic, India (root), Java, New Zealand (shoots, flowers, or roots chewed), Peru]. • Mouth ulcers. • Promotes saliva [Dominican Republic]. • Sore or irritated throat, tonsillitis [Amazonia, Bahamas, Brazil, China, Hawai'i, Martinique]. • Inflammation of the amygdala [Bolivia (decocted), Haiti]. • Esophageal enlargement [China (decocted)]. • Laryngitis [Amazonia, Peru].

HEPATIC • Jaundice; acute or chronic infectious hepatitis [Amazonia, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Peru]. • Alcoholic hepatitis [Amazonia]. • Biliary colic [Bolivia (decocted)]. • Malaria [Brazil, China, Research, Peru].

INFECTION • Boils, abscess [Exuma, China, Cook Islands, Java, Peru, Philippines]; infections [Amazonia, Bahamas, Brazil, China, Hawai'i, Martinique, Peru]. • Fever, chills, common cold, flu [Amazonia, Bahamas, Brazil, China, Hawai'i, Martinique]. • Fungal infection [Peru]. Bidens spp.: Kïnehi flower

LYMPHATIC • Glandular sclerosis [Brazil].

MUSCULOSKELETAL / TRAUMA • Joint pain [China, Hawai'i, Peru, Zulu (young shoots chewed)]. • Traumatic injury, sprains, swelling, contusions [China]. • Rheumatoid arthritis [China]. • Gout [USA]. • Cuts (leaves juiced, topical) [Africa, India, Marquesas, Rapa, Tonga]; wounds [Amazonia, India].

ONCOLOGY • Cancer [Bahamas]. • Gastric or esophageal cancer [China (decocted)].

PARASITES • Worms [Amazonia (root decocted)].

PEDIATRIC • In old Hawai'i, ko'oko'olau (the native Bidens spp.) were much used for digestion in children and young adults. For children 10-50 days old, the buds were chewed and given to infants followed by milk. For children age 50 days to 8 months, the buds and fl owers were given as tea. As the children grew they gradually were given leaves rather than buds or fl owers. Sometimes the tea for the children was brewed with coconut water. The upper parts of many species in the genus, both (native and nonnative), are useful for people of all ages and for an assortment of conditions. • Colic [Burkina Faso, Hawai'i Upper Volta]. • Constipation [Hawai'i (native Bidens spp.)]. • Epilepsy in children, infantile fever with convulsions [China]. • Malnutrition in infants [China]. • Thrush [Hawai'i (native Bidens spp.)]. • Worms in children (infused, every day for 9 days) [Bahamas].

PSYCHOSPIRITUAL • In Tonga this plant is used for eye ailments caused by evil spirits, and the Dani tribe of New Guinea uses it for magick. • Sedative, intoxicant. "To quiet down a smart-aleck." [Hawai'i, Philippines].

REPRODUCTIVE • Vaginal infections, discharge [Brazil, Amazonia]. • Lack of menses [Caribbean]; irregular or painful menses [Amazonia, Bolivia (infused)]; spotting, excessive menstrual bleeding, uterine hemorrhage. • Stimulate childbirth [Peru]. • Stimulates breast milk [Dominican Republic, Haiti]. • For repeated miscarriages [Hawai'i (douche)]. • Benign prostatic hypertrophy [USA]; diffi cult urination [Caribbean, Martinique].

RESPIRATORY • Respiratory problems [Dominican Republic, Mexico]. • Fever, common cold, flu [Amazonia; Bahamas; Brazil; China; Costa Rica (fl owers decocted and sugar added); Hawai'i; Martinique]. • Asthma [Hawai'i]. • Bronchitis, chest congestion [Burkina Faso; China; Dominican Republic; Haiti; Mexico; Upper Volta]. • Cough [Burkina Faso, India (leaf), Malaya, Southeast Asia, Upper Volta]; spitting blood due to excess coughing. • Sinus headaches, allergies, lung irritation from cigarettes, yelling, smog, vog. • Pneumonia [China]. • Tuberculosis [Hawai'i].

URINARY • Urinary tract infections, urinary discharge [Amazonia, Peru, Brazil, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Peru; USA]; urinary abscess [Brazil]; cloudy or bloody urine. • Edema [Amazonia]. • Urinary retention (decocted) [Bolivia]. • Acute nephritis, kidney stones.

VETERINARY • Foot and mouth disease [Amazonia, Haiti].

OTHER MEDICINAL USES • Allergies, hives [Ghana]. • Fatigue and weakness [Hawai'i]; general debility [Hawai'i]. • Needles used to puncture sores [New Guinea]. • Inflammation [Africa (strong decoction), India (leaf), Zulu]. • Insect bites and scorpion sting (topical) [China]; snake bite [Burkina Faso, China, India, Upper Volta]. • Leprosy [India]. • "Prickly heat" (fl owers and leaves) Bidens spp.: Kïnehi flowers and seeds

USE AS FOOD: Young leaves sometimes eaten raw or steamed, but the taste can be a bit strong. In Zimbabwe the leaves are boiled with peanut butter and eaten. Bidens pilosa is eaten in Africa as a vegetable. Fermented with rice to make "sake."

OTHER USES: Because Bidens pilosa secretes chemicals that attack fungi and nematodes it is sometimes used in a controlled way to increase corn yields.

CONSTITUENTS: Acetylenes; aurone glycosides; aylated okanin glycosides; b-amyrin; b-sitosterol; chalcone glycosides; esculetin; fl avonoids; friedelin; gallic and oxalic acids; limonene; linolenic acid; linolic acid; lupeol; luteolin, (a fl avonoid); phenylheptatriyne (PHT or PHY: polyacetylenes); phytosterin-b; polyacetylenes; sterols; tannins; volatile oils; xanthophylis; & "some peculiar phenolic astringents" [Michael Moore].

Kïnehi (Spanish Needle) Local Combinations

Asthma: Bidens (native) with Waltheria americana ('uhaloa) leaf buds and flowers, Metrosideros polymorpha ( 'öhi'a) leaf buds and red flowers, and Saccharum spp. ( kö honua'ula / sugarcane). 3 times a day for 5 days [Old Hawai'i].

Asthma: Bidens (native) with Peperomia spp. ('ala 'ala wai nui), Syzygium malaccense ('öhi'a 'ai / mountain apple) bark, Metrosideros polymorpha ( 'öhi'a) leaves, Aleurites moluccana ( kukui) flowers and nuts, Psilotum triquetrum (moa), Cocos nucifera (niu / coconut) fruit, Morinda citrifolia (noni) fruit, Portulaca oleracea ('äkulikuli / purslane), & Ipomoea dissecta (koali / morning glory) [Old Hawai'i]

Boils: Topical (juiced or as tea) with Plantago spp. ( laukahi / plantain).

Bronchitis: Add Waltheria indica ('uhaloa).

Common cold: With Aleurites moluccana ( kukui) and Piper methysticum ( 'awa / kava). Used to potentiate the effects of 'awa.

Fatigue and weakness: Bidens (native) with sweet potatoes and coconut cooked in coconut milk [Old Hawai'i].

Fatigue and weakness: Bidens (native) with Metrosideros polymorpha ('öhi'a) (leaf buds) and Saccharum spp. (kö honua'ula / sugarcane) [Old Hawai'i]

General debility: Bidens (native) with Waltheria americana ('uhaloa) root cortex, Syzygium malaccense ( 'öhi'a 'ai / mountain apple) bark, Peperomia spp. ('ala 'ala wai nui), Morinda citrifolia ( noni) fruit, Musa spp. (mai'a / banana) fruit, Saccharum officinarum ( kö / sugar cane), & Ipomoea dissecta (koali) [Old Hawai'i].

General debility: Bidens (native) with Waltheria americana ('uhaloa), Peperomia spp. ('ala 'ala wai nui), Saccharum officinarum (ko / sugar cane). Metrosideros polymorpha ( lehua) flowers [Old Hawai'i].

Gout: Add Capsella rubella (shepherds purse), Vaccinium spp. ('öhelo / blueberries).

Hepatitis: Add Desmodium spp. (pua pilipili), Eclipta prostrata (han lian cao).

To induce lactation: Bidens (native) with Sida fallax ( 'ilima) flowers and Hibiscus tiliaceus (hau) flowers [Old Hawai'i].

Tuberculosis: With Peperomia spp. ('ala 'ala wai nui pehu) (leaves and buds), Syzygium malaccense ( 'öhi'a 'ai / mountain apple) bark, Metrosideros polymorpha ('öhi'a) (leaf buds and red fl owers), Aleurites moluccana (kukui) flowers and burned nuts, Morinda citrifolia (noni) ripe fruit, Oxalis corniculata ('ihi mäkole / sorrel) [Old Hawai'i].

Urinary tract infections: Add Taraxacum officinale ( laulele / dandelion).

Kïnehi (Spanish Needle) Cross-Cultural Combinations

Please note some of the ingredients in the following combinations are toxic! Do not selfadminister without the supervision of a licensed practitioner or an experienced Elder.

Angina, sore throat, water retention, hepatitis, and dropsy: With lemon juice [Amazonia].

Tuberculosis: Bidens spp. with Chrysanthemum morifolium (ju hua) and Houttuynia cordata (yu xing cao) [China].

Gout: With Oplopanax horridus (devil's club), Arcticum lappa (burdock) root, Tribulus terrestris (bai ji li).

Gout: With Urtica dioica (nettles).

Prostatitis: With Salvia apiana [Michael Moore].

Sores and lacerations: Dried leaves topical mixed with olive oil. [Exuma tribe].

RANGE: Bidens pilosa is native to South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and the Philippines. There are 60 native species of Bidens in Hawai'i, and 19 of those are endemic.

GATHERING: You don't have to… it gathers you. Gather before the achenes (hitchhikers) appear on the fl ower heads. In China it is gathered late summer - fall. Note: Do Not gather native Bidens species. The introduced varieties work very well and are not endangered… not by a long shot. The rule of thumb is: If the Bidens gathers you (produces hitchhikers), then you can gather the Bidens. Native species do not produce hitchhikers.

PROPAGATION & CULTIVATION: Native species: By seed. Alien species: Not in Hawai'i.

RESEARCH:

Polyacetylenes • The polyacetylenes in kïnehi are anti-pathogenic. Because polyacetylenes are also photoactivated (their medicinal properties are enhanced by daylight), kïnehi makes a particularly good topical poultice for infectious skin conditions [Wat 1980]. One of the active polyacetylenes in kïnehi is phenylheptatriyne. Unlike other photo activated plant chemicals (such as furanocoumarins), phenylheptatriyne does not alter DNA, [Wat 1979] but is one of the few plant chemicals that inhibit cytomegalovirus [Hudson 1986].

Oncology • Interestingly, polyacetylenes in another genus, Panax ginseng (ren shen), have been shown to strongly inhibit growth in cancer cells, but not in normal cells.

Antimicrobial • Phenylheptatriyne, linolic acid and linolenic acid are antimicrobial [Geissberger 1991]. • Constituents are antibacterial against gram-positive bacteria (methanol extracts) [Rabe 1997]. • Aliphatic acetylenes appear to inhibit Plasmodium falciparum (malaria) growth in vitro and in vivo [Brandao 1997].

Hepatic • Protects the liver from hepatotoxins, a broad-spectrum liver protectant [China 1996].

Anti-inflammatory • Anti-inflammatory effect: water and ethanol extracts are a prostaglandin-synthesis inhibitor (triggers of headaches & inflammatory disease) [Jäger 1996]. Flavonoids friedelin and friedelan-3 beta-ol are anti-inflammatory, inhibiting cyclooxygenase (an enzyme that stimulates pro-inflammatory prostaglandins) [Geissberger 1991]. • Methanol extracts of polyacetylenes are anti-inflammatory (immunosuppressive) in vitro [Pereira 1999].

Cardiovascular • Methanol extract is hypotensive in rats, possibly due to vasodialation [Dimo 1999], but effect on cholesterol on lab animals is inconclusive [Dimo 1999; Li Qingdong 1989]. • Inhibits platelet aggregation & thrombosis in rats [Li Qingdong 1989].

NOTES 'N QUOTES

"Bidens may be our best herb for benign prostatic hypertrophy"

- - Michael Moore

"... probably the best herbal therapy we have for irritation, inflammation, pain, and bleeding of the urinary tract mucosa."

- - Michael Moore

"Bidens with Arctium and blended with pig fat can cure finger cut." Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold (Qian Jin Yao Fang)

- - Sun Si Miao, 581 - 682.

• Bidens spp. are used widely as a folk medicine in China and have a long history of use (particularly in Taiwan) for common cold, dysentery, and hepatitis. Two types of Bidens are mentioned in the Chinese classic, the Ben Cao Gang Mu (1596 A.D.)

• Kïnehi flowers are hermaphroditic, they have both male and female sex organs.

• An ingredient in the Chinese patent Gan Mao Qing.

• Please note that some of the above actions and indications are taken from old Hawaiian material may refer to native endemic species of Bidens, not to Bidens pilosa. Almost all other information (non- Hawaiian) contained here is a reference to Bidens pilosa. My experience is that the endemic species are more effective for digestion and the alien species is more effective with infections and inflammation. Do not use an endemic species of Bidens as medicine unless you are absolutely sure that it is not rare or endangered. • Both a poignant blessing and an abominable curse, most herbalists in Hawai'i have a love-and-loathing relationship with kïnehi. Like a dysfunctional romance, it can make us joyous or crazy depending on the circumstances.